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Eternal Destinations: Americans Believe in Heaven, Hell

by Albert L. Winseman, D. Min.

Religion and Social Trends Editor

A close look at Gallup polling reveals some interesting trends
in Americans' views of deities, the afterlife, and what they will
encounter on the other side of death's door. Ever since Gallup
began asking Americans whether they believe in God in 1944, a vast
majority has said they do. The percentage of Americans who believe
in God or a universal spirit has remained near or above 90% for the
past 60 years. However, there has been a significant increase in
the last decade or so in the percentage of Americans who believe in
the devil.

Heaven and Hell

Since 1997, belief in heaven has ranged between 72% and 83%.
According to Gallup's most recent May 2004 Values and Beliefs
poll*, 81% of Americans currently say they believe in heaven, 10%
are unsure, and 8% do not believe. As expected, regular churchgoers
are more likely than others to say they believe: Virtually all
(98%) of those who attend church weekly do so versus 89% who attend
"nearly weekly" and 64% of those who say they attend church seldom
or never.

Belief in heaven is relatively high across all other demographic
groups. The relatively high religiosity of Republicans is reflected
here: 90% say they believe in heaven, compared with 82% of
Democrats and 72% of political independents. Nonwhites are somewhat
more likely than whites to believe in heaven (89% compared with
80%). Regionally, Southerners are somewhat more likely to believe
in heaven (90%) than those in other regions are. Those with a high
school education or less are more likely to believe than those with
at least some college education.

From 1997 to 2004, belief in hell has ranged between 56% and
71%. The 2004 data reveal that 70% of Americans overall believe in
hell, while 12% are not sure and 17% do not believe in hell. Again,
the percentage is much higher among regular churchgoers: 92% of
those who attend weekly believe in hell, as do 74% of those who
attend nearly weekly and just half (50%) of those who attend church
seldom or never.

Belief in hell varies only somewhat among other demographic
categories, although likelihood to believe is somewhat
lower across the board than was the case for heaven. With
regard to political orientation, 83% of Republicans say they
believe in hell, vs. 69% of Democrats and 58% of those who say they
are independent. Americans with a high school education or less are
slightly more likely to believe in hell than those with at least
some college education (77% to 65%). Again, Southerners (83%) are
more likely to believe in hell than are Westerners (61%),
Easterners (64%), and those in the Midwest (66%).

In 1988, Gallup asked Americans who said there is a heaven where
people who had led good lives are eternally rewarded what their
chances were of going there themselves. Seventy-seven percent rated
their chances as "good" or "excellent," while 19% rated them as
"only fair" or "poor." That same year, Americans who said there was
a hell where people who led bad lives without being sorry are
eternally damned were quite optimistic that they would not be going
there themselves. Only 6% said their chances of going there were
good or excellent, and 79% said their chances were poor.

Angels and the Devil

Although belief in God seems to have remained relatively stable
over the last several decades, Gallup research indicates that
belief in some other supernatural beings may be on the rise. In
1994, 72% of Americans said they believed in angels, and that
percentage has increased to 78% today. Belief in the devil has
increased from 55% in 1990 to 70% in 2004.

Interestingly, Gallup's 2004 survey shows that more women than
men believe in angels (84% to 72%), but that belief in the devil is
equal for men and women (70% for women and 69% for men).

Bottom Line

Despite the secularization of American society throughout the
20th and early 21st centuries, Americans themselves seem
to be increasingly spiritual. While belief in God has always
remained high, contemplation and exploration of some other aspects
of spirituality seem to be on an upward trend. The increasing
number of individuals who believe in heaven, hell, the devil, and
angels is evidence of this. As science, technology, and rational
explanations uncover and explain more and more about the known
world, Americans are likely becoming more intrigued by the
unknown.

*Results are based on telephone interviews with 519 national
adults, aged 18 and older, conducted May 2-4, 2004. For results
based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95%
confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±5
percentage points.

As Global Practice Leader for Faith Communities, Dr. Winseman leads Gallup's research and consulting services that assist faith communities in helping their members become more engaged. He is a co-author of the new book, Living Your Strengths, written to help members discover and use their talents and strengths in their congregations. Before joining The Gallup Organization, he was a pastor in the United Methodist Church for 15 years.

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